


A "Social" Experiment

by asllapiscu



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, all other characters honestly are just Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 15:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10925052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asllapiscu/pseuds/asllapiscu
Summary: Futaba just wants to continue to feel like a "normal" teenager, but sadly she doesn't really know anyone else for this does she?No, she really doesn't.





	A "Social" Experiment

It was just supposed to be an experiment, that’s it. Neither of them felt anything more than reluctant curiosity anyway, so this was the most harmless approach. At least, that’s what Futaba kept telling herself as she felt Yusuke’s shaking hands rest on her shoulders. This is a necessary evil, a rite of passage that she’s read in all her stories and seen in all her animes. If she can’t do this now, then who knows when she’ll ever truly become  _ normal _ .

But Inari wasn’t helping.

“Will you please get it over with?” she pushes herself to ask, doing her best not to shake along with Yusuke’s hands. It was nerve wracking--heart pounding, even--and for all the wrong reasons too. In everything she’d ever seen, the girl was always so shy and tender, as delicate as a pretty little flower at the peak of her blooming into adulthood (shoujo manga is weird). But instead, she felt more like the male love interest, as cool and composed (as far as Futaba could manage) with more control over the situation than Yusuke could ever have.

“I am unsure on how to proceed,” he finally admits, removing himself from the situation and Futaba herself. The distance was good, for both of them, as she watched Yusuke collect himself. He was still shaking, that much was clear, but his face showed an intense struggle and she had to hold back a pout.

“H-How can you not know how to start a k-kiss?!”

“Well it’s not as if I’ve had any practice! Do you really assume that much of me?”

“I just thought anyone who goes to high school must have had  _ some _ kissing done already!”

“Outrageous--who has time for kissing when I need to practice painting?”

“Right, of course! Should have known stupid Inari has never done  _ anything _ because all he is is dumb and stupid!”

“How dare you!” Yusuke releases a gasp as a hand flies to his chest, looking incredibly offended. This is getting them nowhere, they already know. At this rate, the experiment will be deemed not just a failure, but a colossal waste of time on both their parts. Futaba, in the middle of a pout, began to chew on her thumb as she weighed her options. Was Yusuke really the only person she could have asked for such a favor?

Unfortunately, this is so. Futaba, only just recovering from a life of confinement, really only knows just a  _ few _ people. And if you forced her to count those people, technically all she has are Sojiro and the Phantom Thieves. Her pout changes to a frown now, as she continues to watch Yusuke, sitting on her thoughts more. As she remembers the mental list of real live people she knows, Yusuke stopped his offended act and began to appear a little more calm. Yes, of all the people Futaba knew, unfortunately, Yusuke is the only candidate she could trust to do this.

“I’m sorry,” she finally blurt out, a sigh coming afterwards. “This whole situation is just… scary, I guess.”

“I can understand why, but you are the one who suggested it in the first place.”

“I know, I know,” she repeats as she sighs once more, falling back onto her bed. Was this really such a good idea after all?

“I know you originally withheld the reason behind this, ‘experiment’ as you called it, but after that little spat… I think I deserve to know the  _ why _ .”

Futaba made a grimace as she heard that. It took a lot of extra will power for her not to audibly groan either, but she was definitely dying inside. Maybe she could still escape this. All she’d have to do is call Sojiro over--

But that will cause a scene, and a lot of questions to follow right after. No. That’d be worse than telling  _ Inari _ of  _ all people _ the truth.

Oh god. She nearly had the urge to throw up just now.

“I saw them kissing,” she quickly says, dunking her face under her pillow. She cannot see Yusuke’s confused expression, let alone him trying to work out exactly what she said. She was more afraid of where this conversation will lead.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I saw them! Kissing!” Her voice is muffled from the pillow, but she does her best to project her voice nonetheless.

“Who?” The question bothered her more than she anticipated. Of course Yusuke doesn’t know immediately who she’s talking about. She’s being as vague as she ever is, but it still doesn’t help the fact that a small part of her had hoped she didn’t need to say it out loud. “Do you mean Makoto and Haru? I thought we were all used to Haru’s level of public displays of affections by this point--”

“No Inari!” Futaba threw her pillow at Yusuke out of embarrassment of what she has to say next. Yusuke dodges as quickly as he can manage, ready to ask what had gotten into her today especially, until he noticed her expression. “Akira and Ryuji! I saw  _ them _ !”

Oh. …  _ Oh. _

“Y-Yes, I suppose seeing the leader of our group sharing an intimate moment with someone could be… quite the shock,” Yusuke releases a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Though it was apparent that such a revelation was much less a shock to him than it is to her. Why was she reacting in such a way? “But what does that have to do with the experiment?”

“Come on Inari, you can’t really be  _ that _ dumb,” she mumbled, her back now facing Yusuke as she refuses to meet eye to eye with him. Yes, it was a shock to her to catch who she considered like a brother to be kissing not just any teammate, but  _ Ryuji _ of all people. But what really got to her was the reminder that even though they are all the Phantom Thieves… they were still teenagers. Teenagers with real emotions and desires.

_ That’s what scared Futaba the most _ .

“Do I really need to spell it out for you?” it was a whisper more to herself, to steel her resolve, than it was for him to hear. Yet, he still managed to pick it up.

“I'm afraid so, as it would appear we may have different understandings.”

“I just want to be normal,” she manages to choke out, still refusing to meet his eyes. “And normal teenagers have feelings for other teenagers. Even, even, e-even…”

“Oh,” Yusuke seemed to have finally, hopefully, understood her point of view. “You wanted to understand their feelings better.”

Futaba sits up. He understood. She faces him.

“Everything I've seen about school and teenage life involves… romance. I don't get it. Am I really not normal in the end?” she whispers the last part to herself again, falling back to her bed. However, she does not leave Yusuke’s gaze this time. Instead, she merely grabs hold of another pillow and squeezes it for dear life.

“Are you suggesting you don't understand romance?”

“Yeah, I knew you wouldn't get all of it,” she gave him another pout for his stupidity. But was it really his fault for not understanding her this time? She’ll question that later. “I don't understand the  _ appeal _ behind it.”

“Ah. So that's why the experiment.”

“Yes, that's why,” she did her best not to bury herself into her pillow again.  _ New pillow new me _ , she joked with herself, but it wasn't really helping. “You were the only person I could ask, so…”

“Truly, there wasn't anyone else?”

“I mean, come on Inari, who else is there?” she began to mumble, trying not to lose the volume of her voice. But the embarrassment and childish feelings were hard to ignore. “Out of all the Phantom Thieves, you're the only one.  _ Really _ .”

“You haven’t considered someone else?”

“I’ve considered  _ all _ my options. Akira is practically my brother, who is apparently dating Ryuji, so, double no. Triple no? Just no, all around. Makoto and Haru? The same issue, really. It was more or less between you and Ann, and, well…”

“I would have asked Ann,” he said it in such a matter of fact tone it was hard for Futaba not to resist a groan.

“She's too pretty and I don't think I like girls. At least, I'm pretty sure I don't?”

“This is about sexuality too?”

“Well, it kinda has to be when half our team is, um…”

Yusuke stays quiet for a moment, a little wide eyed. His reaction caused a slight anxiety to grow in Futaba’s heart. Did he realize something just now? Was she really not normal after all?

“Not only are you uncertain about the appeal, but you are also uncertain about whether you can feel attraction towards anyone?”

For once, Yusuke hit the target dead on.

“Y-Yes! How did you guess!?” Futaba nearly jumped out of her bed, no longer feeling the need to hide now that _Inari_ _actually understood where she was going with this_. But how? How could he? And it was with those thoughts that Futaba began to see the concerned expression he wore, remembering the shaking hands and his earlier comment.

Now it all makes sense.

“You feel that way too, don’t you?”

Yusuke goes wide eyed again.

“Yes. It seems we share sentiments in that regard. For a long while, all I was truly allowed to consider or ponder was art alone. And even after the incident with Madarame, after meeting all of you, it is not as though I’d change overnight. But witnessing romantic behavior was new to me, a realm outside of art that I never understood… Or felt any interest in.” Yusuke, now covering his face with a hand, began to sigh.  _ How ironic _ , he thought, that he was sharing these thoughts with Futaba. He’d never guess she’d understand him.

But there she was, sitting and nodding along. This is a strange feeling.

“I mean, I’ve felt  _ some _ attraction before. But, never towards a  _ real _ person. And you know, all the animes show you that teenagers like us usually have one romance or two by this point, but I’m just…” Futaba crossed her arms and legs, furrowing her brow as she considered what to say next. “I feel like an outsider to this? I thought even you felt  _ something _ towards  _ someone _ at some point, but I guess we’re on the same boat.”

“A-Ah, yes,” Yusuke released a cough, not wanting to show that the last comment hesitated in his mind for a moment. Some secrets were best left unsaid. “Very similar sailings. And this is why you wanted to experiment.”

“Yes, I just… was curious to see  _ why _ . But even you were no help in the end.”

“I have to apologize,” Yusuke nearly scoffs, doing his best not to roll his eyes. “But it is not the easiest task to fulfill. With neither of us having any particular practice, I’m not sure how exactly you imagined this would go.”

“I don’t know! Quickly and just done? I didn’t expect you to get all- _ ugh _ I guess!? Sorry I dragged you into this then!”

“Well, I’ll accept your apology, along with the food then, to ensure sincerity. No one can refuse an apology on a full stomach after all.”

“Is that really why you came down here? For food?”

“You had promised me curry if I played along. Was that not our agreement?”

“Right,” Futaba muttered, sighing before getting up from her bed. But as she rose to her feet, something inside of her clicked. “... _ Right _ ,” she repeats, slowly walking up to Yusuke. “I promised you curry for this.”

“Yes, that is what you said,” Yusuke’s eyes showed a slight anxiety in them. Good.

“But I think it was more specific than that wasn’t it? That if the experiment, I don’t know,  _ succeeded _ , then you’d get the curry. Wasn’t that how it went?”

“Oh. I believe you’re right.”

“It would appear so.”

“This experiment truly means that much to you doesn’t it?”

“It does, for the sake of science,” Futaba reassured them both as she stopped dead before Yusuke. Despite her racing heart, she bore a sinister grin. “I just want to make sure.”

“Very well. I did originally agree, and I haven’t eaten in some time, so perhaps we’ll just get this over with--” but before Yusuke could properly finish, he felt himself pulled down and lips crashing awkwardly onto his.

It was a strange sensation, for both of them. Futaba wasn’t sure how to continue after the rash kissing part (how do people do this?!), and Yusuke was more at a loss than she was. It doesn’t last too long however, as they each parted, forgetting that breathing was essential and somehow  _ not _ a part of kissing. As Futaba tried to collect her breath and thoughts, she looked up to Yusuke, who seemed extremely flustered. That’s… an impressive sight.

“Well, interesting results. I don’t know about you Inari, but I’d say this experiment was a success,” Futaba cleared her throat, refusing to make eye contact with her guest. That move alone  took all the willpower she could muster for another five years. But she knew if she waited on Yusuke any longer, it would have taken him five years just to try. Soon, however, she heard him clear his own throat as he--carefully--placed a shaking hand on her shoulder.

“H-How was this a success?”

“I got my first kiss like a normal teenage girl. I still don’t understand the appeal to romance, but, I’ll work on that later if I feel like it.” She was still avoiding his gaze--embarrassment is not an easy foe to tackle down once he made his roots. “I guess I wanted to know more if kissing was worth it. Akira made it look like his life depended on it, but I’m not so sure I’m as desperate…”

“Perhaps you give him too much credit. I can’t imagine Ryuji being any reason for him to act so desperately.”

“You know what? On that, I agree with you,” and for the first time that evening, Futaba laughs and feels more at ease. From when Yusuke arrived to just a moment ago, Futaba was only a bundle of nerves jumping from one emotion to the next--and she kind of hated it. But this relaxed feeling and laughing over Ryuji being anything but a fool was nice. “All right Inari, you earned your curry. Let’s go to Leblanc.”

“Thank goodness, for a moment there I was almost afraid you were going to let me starve after putting me through such a task.”

“I may be awkward but I’m not cruel, Inari. That hurts.”

“I’ll call it even for the surprise attack you gave me.”

“Yeah, okay, that works.”

As the two walked to Leblanc, dim lighting and distant chatter their only companions, Futaba had realized something drastically important. Without another thought, she stops herself right in front of Yusuke, pointing a finger at him.

“No one must know.”

“About what? The experiment?”

“Yes.”

“As if I’d be bold enough to walk into your father’s cafe and proclaim to him and Akira what we did. I’d sooner starve for a week.”

“You have to promise.”

“Really? You don’t trust me that much?”

“It’s not that, it’s just…” Futaba drew her finger back, bringing her hands closer to her. She stared at them idly, trying to string the words together in her head as best she could. “A promise feels more secure.”

“... Well considering the circumstances, then, it’s a promise.” Yusuke appeared a little surprised when Futaba offered him a smile. Did her smile look weird? 

  
“Thank you,” she said, rather softly too. Maybe it was just her imagination, or just the way the streets weren’t very well lit, but she could have sworn she saw Yusuke hide a blush. For tonight--and only tonight--she decided to give him a free pass. “All right Inari! Let’s get ourselves some curry! I’m so hungry!”


End file.
